[R] CPU Usage with R 2.1.0 in Windows (and with R 2.3.1)

[Mike Saunders]

I have done the measurements, at least with some of the code I have built 
for spatial pattern analysis.  If you are on a networked machine, with lots 
of network processes running in the background, turning off hyperthreading 
increases speed by 30-50% (at least on my network).  I have tried it on a 
non-networked machine, and speed increased by 60% or better.

Mike

Mike R. Saunders
Forest Biometrician
Cooperative Forest Research Unit
University of Maine
5755 Nutting Hall
Orono, ME  04469-5755

207-581-2763 (O)
207-581-2833 (F)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duncan Murdoch" <murdoch at stats.uwo.ca>
To: "Markus Preisetanz" <Markus.Preisetanz at clientvela.com>
Cc: <R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch>
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: [R] CPU Usage with R 2.1.0 in Windows (and with R 2.3.1)


Markus Preisetanz wrote:
> ... I have exactly the same issue with R 2.3.1 . The Question is: Why is R 
> unable to take more CPU space to make the calculation process go faster?
>
> In my case no hardisk nor any network device is involved (data in RAM, 600 
> of 1024 MB filled) - and the CPU usage of the rgui-process does not exceed 
> 50%.
>
> Has anybody an idea? Is there a setting a can change?
>
You are probably on a dual core or hyperthreaded machine.  R does almost
all of its work in one thread, so it will max out the usage on one cpu,
but not more than one.

If you are on a hyperthreaded machine, you can disable hyperthreading
and the report should show 100% usage, but that doesn't mean things will
be going twice as fast.  (I have heard that hyperthreading does slow
down some computations, so turning it off might be a good idea, but I
have never done the measurements myself.)

Duncan Murdoch
>
> Sincerely, Markus
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> From: Doran, Harold <HDoran_at_air.org 
> <mailto:HDoran_at_air.org?Subject=Re:%20%5BR%5D%20CPU%20Usage%20with%20R%202.1.0%20in%20Windows> 
>  >
> Date: Wed 20 Jul 2005 - 04:59:34 EST
>
>
>
> Dear Michael:
>
> Why is it a problem that R is not using more CPU space than it seems to 
> need?
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch
> [mailto:r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of Greene, Michael 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 2:29 PM
> To: 'R-help at lists.R-project.org'
> Subject: [R] CPU Usage with R 2.1.0 in Windows
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm using a fairly simple HP Compaq desktop PC running Windows 2K. When 
> running a large process in R, the process "RGUI.exe" will never exceed 50% 
> of the CPU usage.
>
> The program used to be able to use more of the computer, but does not now.
> I don't believe this is a multiple processor machine.
>
> Can anyone give any advice on how to solve the problem?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael Greene
>
> Product Management
> Plymouth Rock Assurance Corp
> 617-951-1682
>
>
> [[alternative HTML version deleted]]
>
>
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